Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming, and we’re here to keep you updated on all the latest news — from the proposed map size, to multiplayer features, to the confirmed release date. Stick with us as we decipher and analyse every aspect of the marketing push, and maybe we can figure out exactly WTF is up with Red Dead Redemption 2.
Rockstar no-showed E3 2016, but we now have an official, actual announcement to cut our teeth into. It’s going to be a long wait before the game releases in Fall 2017, so to help ease your pain, we’ve sifted through endless think-pieces, rumor mills, and attention-grabbing headlines to see if there’s any truth behind the many would-be features of Rockstar’s next blockbuster.
[UPDATED: The Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer has dropped! Watch it in the embed below.]
When Does It Come Out? – Release Date
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set to release in Fall 2017. The date was revealed on Rockstar’s own news feed website.
This release date is a little later than the previously rumored date that originated from the website FragHero — where an anonymous Rockstar employee set the date at early-2017. Those e-mails don’t just call-out the planned release date, but also reveal that the Red Dead sequel has been in closed development for four years.
On top of the release date rumors, the same leak suggested that a Red Dead Redemption Remaster will be released for current-gen consoles before the end of 2016. We already know that Red Dead Redemption is backwards compatible on the Xbox One — for a brief period in February, it was possible to download and play before the official release.
Red Dead Redemption is now officially available as one of the over 200 Xbox One backwards compatibility titles. Check it out — it was unveiled on Friday, July 8th.
How Big Is The Map?
There’s been no official word on the map — where it takes place, what section of the Old West you’re likely to explore — but a massive (and widely reported) map leak originating from the NEOGaf forums spread around the gaming press in April of 2016.
We don’t have much to go on. The leaked map isn’t verified, and even if it was, it looks more like an early design proof than anything remotely resembling a complete product. Still, there are some interesting tid-bits to gleam.
First of all, the map (shown above) is about 150% bigger than the map from Red Dead Redemption 1. It also appears to take place in the same area, expanded further to include other locations like New Bordeaux — a city that shares the same name as the title location for Take Two‘s other published open-world crime game Mafia 3.
The map lacks train tracks and the extended size suggests we might be returning to a less civilized version of the west. Are we getting a prequel? A sequel? Let’s take a look at the rumors surrounding the settings.
What’s It About? – Story & Setting Rumors
[The first trailer dropped on Thursday, October 20th. Check it out above.]
The reveal trailer shows an unspoiled western landscape, along with seven riding figures that mirror the same seven men that appear on the teaser announcement image here. A train, a farm, and a herd of buffalo pass by — as a fire rages, and a dirty western town emerges from the wilderness. A man speaks, offering this cryptic advice;
“Listen to me. When the time comes, you gotta run and don’t look back.” -Narrator
Be prepared for some rampant speculation, but here two possibilities. Neither are confirmed, and we’re going to guess the developers at Rockstar have been putting a lot more thought to the story and setting of a Red Dead Redemption 2 than we ever have. Still, here are two options we wouldn’t mind seeing;
- Prequel: Return to a younger, more criminal John Marston as he shoots his way across an uncivilized west, before the trains and towns brought law and order from out east. We could experience his relationship with Dutch firsthand, and likely swap characters to tell new stories with other unfortunates living in an unruly, violent time of upheaval. [This could be a likely candidate. The teaser image shows seven figures that resemble a motley collection of desperadoes.]
- Sequel: Following the theme of cyclical violence present in the original, we continue the travels of son Jack Marston. How he deals with life and makes the same mistakes as his father — and joins a gang of other renegades, allowing a repeat of the character-swapping mechanics of GTA V. That means we might see even more cars!
John Marston’s story ended with a nice bow on top in Red Dead Redemption, and I don’t believe we need to know anything else about him. A true ‘sequel’ would also be difficult to pull-off, as the end of the classic ‘western’ setting as we know it in pop-culture was on the verge of extinction by that game’s end. That makes a prequel seem extremely likely — though we’d prefer to follow other characters, perhaps with maybe a cameo from a younger John Marston.
What Will Multiplayer Be Like?
[UPDATED: The new multiplayer mode will be called Red Dead Online, according to registered domain names. Once we know more about this mode, we’ll add details below. Until then, enjoy some silly rumors.]
Let’s end with one final (ludicrous) rumor. Reported on multiple sites, this rumor relates to GTA-esque dynamic multiplayer similar to their open-world crime shooters. There’s just one problem with these rumors — Red Dead Redemption already features an open-world multiplayer mode, with dynamic posses and other features that were (in many ways) more robust than the offerings found in GTA V.
Based on Rockstar’s record, we can safely assume the next Red Dead will feature multiplayer with some sort of PVP-element — y’know, like it’s done for the last three open-world shooters its released. According to the Christian Times, “players will finally be able to enjoy fighting against and with other gamers.” — a line ghost-written by aliens on their first visit to Planet Earth.
Have your own unsubstantiated rumors? Got an uncle that works at Rockstar? What are your theories for a possible sequel? Let us know in the comments!
